Finding love and starting a family is a magical thing, but nobody can deny that even the best relationships take work and that parenting even the most easygoing kids can be super exhausting. Keeping up long-term romantic relationships and thriving in the mom life is major emotional work, no matter what the circumstances are. That said, we have to say that doing all of those things when there are exes, stepkids, and other blended family dynamics involved is basically playing the game on hard mode.
We all know that the key ingredients for a successful family are love, boundaries, respect, and kindness. All of those things are especially important when a family starts with kids already in the mix, so it's always inspiring and heartwarming to hear some of our favorite celebrities talking openly about the beauty of having a blended family.
From actors figuring out how to be a loving stepparent who still respects boundaries to singers finding joy in having a big combined family, there are some amazing examples of the beauty that can be found in blended families. Read on for vulnerability, good humor, and touching stories from 15 celebs.
Cardi B & Offset
Cardi B and Offset proved exactly how beautiful a blended family can be in the May/June 2022 issue of Essence. The magazine's cover features the two children the couple shares as well as Offset's kids from a prior relationship. Cardi posted on Instagram that she was grateful to show off their blended family. "Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen for me and our family. I love having a huge family with all of our kids and I'm grateful that we are making our blended family work," she wrote.
Gabrielle Union & Dwyane Wade
Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade's blended family includes their daughter Kaavia, Dwayne's two children from his first marriage, and a nephew whom Dwayne adopted. Gabrielle has spoken openly about both the love she has for all the kids and the fact that having a blended family requires careful naviagation of boundries. In an interview with Today, she noted how important it is to be present for all the kids and expressed her desire to make sure "we love all our kids outloud."
Chris Pratt & Katherine Schwarzenegger
One of the biggest keys of having a happy blended family is making sure everyone feels loved and safe with all the adults involved. Actor Chris Pratt gushed that his wife, Katherine Shwarzenegger, does exactly that when it comes to the son he shares with ex-wife Anna Faris. "My heart, my soul, my son I feel are all so safe with her. She's a great stepmom," he told People in 2020.
Catherine Zeta-Jones & Michael Douglas
Sometimes the highest praise a parent in a blended family can get is praise from one of their spouse's children. Catherine Zeta-Jones is stepmom to Michael Douglas' oldest son, Cameron. The 43-year-old, who is an actor like his famous father and grandfather, once said that Catherine "is someone who has cemented the family together … she's down-to-earth and totally into bringing the family together at every opportunity."
Jason Momoa, Lenny Kravitz & Lisa Bonet
There may not be a better (or more handsome!) example of how to blend a family than how Jason Momoa, Lenny Kravitz, and Lisa Bonet make it work. All three adults get along, celebrate the shared children, and publicly praise each other. Lenny even described Jason as his "ride or die" and "brother for life" in a recent Instagram post.
Kourtney Kardashian & Travis Barker
Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker are engaged and looking forward to blending their family, which will include Kourtney's three kids, Travis' two children from his past marriage, Travis' stepdaughter from his first marriage — and hopefully a baby of their own (the couple has been open about pursuing IVF). Kourtney recently called Travis' kids one of "the blessings God has given me on my 43rd year of life."
Demi Moore, Bruce Willis & Emma Henning
Bruce Willis, his wife Emma Henning, and Demi Moore are another great example of how loving a blended family can be. Even though Bruce and Demi have been divorced for more than 20 years, the pair and their kids all quarantined together during the early COVID-19 days. As Demi put it, "Thankful for our blended family."
Kevin Hart & Eniko Parrish
Funnyman Kevin Hart has a blended family that includes two children with wife Eniko Parrish and his children from his first marriage. He praised Eniko for how she makes the blended family work, saying, "Thank u for all that you do. Thank you for loving me & supporting me at the highest level. Thank you for loving & embracing my kids & the way you do. Thank you for turning my house into home."
Kurt Russell & Goldie Hawn
Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn's blended family includes his son from a prior marriage, Goldie's children from a prior relationship, and son Wyatt. The family is super close-knit, and Kate Hudson has sung the praises of Kurt, including this touching tribute to him on Instagram: "Our great loyal protector. Our dependable authentic captain. Our wild, sometimes untamed adventurer father! From skiing out of helicopters, flying in open cockpit planes, dirt bikes, bareback horse riding, motorcycle rides, boat racing … a childhood and adulthood of adventure. Our Pa always makes life fun. Always down for exploring, always ready to take on the good life with his family. He's one hell of a dad."
Christina Aguilera & Jordan Bratman
Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman divorced in 2011, but they don't let that stop them from figuring out how to co-parent and celebrate their son, Max, even though both have moved on with other romantic partners. In 2020, Christina shared a picture of them with Max and spoke about the simple joy of the experience. "We make blended families work. It's a beautiful thing," she wrote on Instagram.
Ciara & Russell Wilson
Ciara and Russell Wilson have a gorgeous blended family that includes her son Future and the two children they share together. Russell has spoken out about the joy he finds in their family, noting that the key is love. "I think the best thing is love. Being there for your kids. Putting them to bed. Going to as many things as you can," he said. "The thing I've learned most and this is real … being a stepdad and also having a little daughter too as well. A stepdad you find out what love is like. It's easy to love somebody who is your own blood. When you can love somebody like it's your own child, that's what real love is like."
Will Smith & Jada Pinkett Smith
They might be infamous at the moment for THAT SLAP at the Oscars, but Will and Jada Smith also have been known for having a successful blended family for years. In 2018, for example, Will posted an Instagram message to his first wife, Sheree Zampino, thanking her for being a great mom. She responded by paying tribute to the power of a blended family: "I love you back! And thank you @treysmith0011 for being the reason we came together. And to @jadapinkettsmith for being an understanding, secure, and absolutely AMAZING wife, mother, bonus-mom, and co-parenting partner!"
Gisele Bündchen & Tom Brady
Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady's blended family includes his son Jack (whose mom is actress Bridget Moynahan) as well as their children together, Benjamin and Vivian. On Jack's 14th birthday, Gisele praised her stepson for his sweetness to his siblings. "We are all so lucky to have you in our lives. Thank you for being the best big brother in the world. We love you soooo much!"
Terry Crews & Rebecca King-Crews
Actor Terry Crews and his wife, Rebecca King-Crews, have been married since 1990 and have a blended family that includes five kids. Terry once talked about the work that goes into making a beautiful blended family. "My wife, when I met her, was a single mom and the baby was 6 to 8 months old and we ended up marrying when she was 2 and, the thing is, your wife loves you, but that baby doesn't love you! You've got to earn that baby's love," he said.
"I was like, 'Whoa! This is a whole other thing.' It was really wild, but what you realize is that bond … What I like to compare it to is when you have a broken bone and it fuses together and it heals, it becomes stronger. It's kind of like the blended family is a stronger family because there is a lot more to overcome to be together."
Alicia Keys & Swizz Beats
Alicia Keys loves her blended family so much that she actually wrote a whole song about it. It's called "Blended Family (What You Do for Love)." Some of the sweet lyrics include:
"That's just what you do (for love),
For love of the babies (for love),
We're a blended family (for love),
And it's alright (for love),
Said it's alright!
I'll be here forever."
